Ifrah Ahmed was born in Somalia at the age of eight she has genital mutilation performed on her and at the age of 15 she was sexually assaulted by a group of men. Ahmed left Mogadishu after a war broke out, when she was 17 years old. In 2006, she was granted refugee status in Ireland. In 2010 Ahmed established the United Youth of Ireland, a non government organization for young immigrants as well as the Ifrah Foundation, which was devoted to eliminating Female genital mutilation. United Youth of Ireland provides support to young immigrants in their businesses, artistic and creative pursuits. Ifrah foundation advocates for the eradication of female genital mutilation in Somalia, she also raises awareness by producing media content to highlight the negative impact of female genital mutilation. Ahmed has organized events, workshops, fundraisers and seminars. The foundation has reached over 100,000 people throughout the horn of Africa with its advocacy programs. In July of 2018, in collaboration with the Global Media Campaign to end female genital mutilation, Ahmed produced a short documentary on the death of Deega Dahir Muur , a 10 year old who bled to death after being cut. Deega’s story went viral and parents began taking their daughters to the hospital where Ahmed facilitated their medical care. Ahmed successfully campaigned for the prosecution of people responsible for the death of Deega Dahir Muur. The Ifrah foundation has partnered on impactful projects with international NGO’s and formed partnerships with government agencies to work on policy and legislation. Ahmed was instrumental in bringing about the 2012 legislation banning female genital mutilation in Ireland. In 2016 Ifran Ahmed was appointed to advise Somalia’s Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke on gender issues. Female genital mutilation has been unconstitutional in Somalia since 2012, but no bill has been passed to ban female genital mutilation outright. Ahmed draw up a national female genital mutilation eradication program, she’s also helped Mr Sharmarke to sign a petition with over one million names calling on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to make female genital mutilation illegal and pass legislation. Unfortunately the legislation needed to punish people who are guilty of female genital mutilation has been stalled by parliamentarians. Ifrah Ahmed is the inspiration for the movie A Girl from Mogadishu, the movie tells her life story and her experience from female genital mutilation to finding her voice as a refugee in Ireland.

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